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With a broad, muscular body, a glabrezu stood 9–15 feet (2.7–4.6 meters) tall and weighed 5,500 pounds (2500 kg).[3][5] Their most physically bewildering feature was their two pairs of arms, each with a different extremity. While their main arms were monstrous limbs that ended in powerful pincers, the smaller humanoid pair ended in clawed hands and protruded from the stomach. Goat horns adorned the top of their canine heads and numerous fangs rested in their muzzles. Their skin was wrinkly and ranged in tone from deep russet to pitch black. A pair of cold, purple, piercing eyes hinted at their great intelligence, contrasting with their bestial appearance.[3][5]

Despite their physical prowess, glabrezus preferred to work behind the scenes, both on the Prime Material Plane and in the Abyss. Glabrezus took pleasure in the act of temptation, luring all they met with lies, deception, and offers of power before ruining their victims' lives.[1] Furthering their guile was their commanding presence, as they had a strong air of authority they used to enhance their arguments. The plans of a glabrezu could take centuries or millennia to come to fruition as their complicated schemes could take as long to complete as their plots for vengeance.[8]

Glabrezus did not offer pleasures of the flesh, but tempted those of weak wills and great ambition with promises of unparalleled influence. They collected vast sums of gold, magical items, and other useful bargaining chips and stored them all underground in a massive hoard. They were unable to change, or polymorph, their frightening appearance, so they usually visited mortals in secret. They were most commonly summoned directly by a mortal, such as ambitious humanwizards or drowpriestesses who hoped to make a bargain. Sometimes they found potential victims on their own, presenting their "gift" whether or not the recipient wanted it. If their victims refused their offers, glabrezus thought nothing of slaughtering them instead, as being willing to summon a demon was likely indicative of their fate regardless.[4][8]

Glabrezus had access to a wide variety of spells, including the power to spontaneously generate darkness and dispel magic. They had truesight that extended as far as their telepathic communication that they used in concert during their dealings so as to avoid being seen and prevent acts of deception. Both their arms were fully functional but they made more use of their claws in combat in order to grapple their enemies. Although they could travel between the planes freely ,they usually only came to the mortal plane when summoned.[1] Among the most fearsome aspects of the glabrezu was their mere presence on the material plane, as lingering too long caused their corruption to spread. Arrogant mortal summoners often believed they could control glabrezus with ease but the very act of their summoning planted seeds of evil, Their corruption sickened people, animals, and plants alike, even causing the sky itself to grow darker as they leeched off the power of the plane.[2][4]

A glabrezu was able to cast wish for a mortal once per month but required the wish to be for an evil cause, or for payment to be made in an act of wickedness.[3]

Glabrezus preferred deception to combat, but did not hesitate to wade in. Unlike normal magic users, they did not stand behind their minions casting spells but ran straight into combat using chaos-inducing spells to send battlefields into disarray while summoning demons powerful in size or number. Despite having no qualms about direct confrontation, they preferred to have their minions do the work if they did not need to do themselves.[3][2]

Glabrezus, for all their terrifying presence and wish-granting abilities, only occupied a middle class amongst the demons of the Abyss.[1] While they were hardly great generals, they were normally in charge of many lesser demons and led by example.[2] Often, they acted as advisers, chief lieutenants, and spies for more powerful demons, using their skill in trickery to aid their masters' endeavors. They played little role in the combative side of the Blood War, instead focusing on deep plots. Demons' opinions on the glabrezus varied depending who was asked, although most lesser demons like chasmes and dretches rightfully feared them.[9]Mariliths, on the other hand, were dismissive and hateful towards the glabrezus despite both having a love of planning. While glabrezu favored subtlety and temptations, mariliths felt these games were inferior to true warfare and would prefer to wipe them out completely, settling for attempts to discredit them to higher-ups. Meanwhile, the balors were in favor of the corrupting tactics of the glabrezus, giving them work as spies and advisers.[10] Similarly, lilitus also had a fondness for the manipulative glabrezus, sharing their love of subtle corruption.[11]

In a rarely successful and unholy ritual, a half-drow, half-glabrezu monstrosity known as a draegloth could be born from a drow priestess. Unlike glabrezus, they were impatient and destructive, only improving their magic that could be used for destructive purposes. They served drow houses as opposed to the masters of the Abyss, but were believed to be a sign of support from Lolth.[12]

A glabrezu known as Vulgorger was among many of the leaders of the abyssal forces fighting in Androlynne, the 471st layer of the Abyss, to kill the last remaining eladrin on the plane.[17] Some glabrezu traveled to the Endless Labyrinth, the 600th layer, in order to capture goristros for use by other demon lords, raids that Baphomet begrudgingly tolerated as a method of raising his own legendary status.[18]